Title

When Eating is not About the Food

Scripture

When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.(Proverbs 23:1-3)

Devotional

Much business is discussed over a meal. We have business lunches and dinner meetings. The purpose of such meals is business not eating. Therefore, we are to give our attention to the purpose of the meeting not the meal. This may seem trivial, but if God gives it attention in His Word, we sure ought to give it the attention it deserves. This is common sense wisdom for meetings that involve a meal. Here is what I do when invited to a luncheon or dinner meeting: I eat before I go. The reason being is that I am a man of appetite. I like to eat. However, my focus is to be on people and the business at hand, not the food. I am to politely eat, but not allow the food to have any priority over the meeting. Consider Proverbs 23:21, "The heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty."[7]